22.106 | Spring 2010 | Graduate

Neutron Interactions and Applications

Syllabus

Course Meeting Times

Lectures: 2 sessions / week, 1.5 hours / session

Course Description

This course is intended to introduce the student to the concepts and methods of transport theory needed in neutron science applications. This course is a foundational study of the effects of multiple interactions on neutron distributions and their applications to problems across the Nuclear Engineering department. Stochastic and deterministic simulation techniques will be introduced to the students.

Course Structure

Assignments

There will be a total of 6 homework assignments. The due dates are indicated on the schedule of class. Some homework will require the use of computational language such as Fortran or Matlab. Students that are not familiar with such languages are encouraged to do a few tutorials.

Term Paper

The goal of the 22.106 project is to give the student the opportunity to learn on their own and transmit this knowledge in a written 10 page report. The student is encouraged to pick a topic of their interest, but this topic must go beyond what is thought in the current Nuclear Engineering curriculum. The student may not pick a topic directly related to their current of previous research. Please keep in mind that the subject must be related to Neutron Interactions and Applications. A list of possible topics will be handed out towards mid-February, but students are encouraged to come up with their own original ideas. Topics must be selected by Ses #9 and final reports are due in Ses #24.

EXAMS PERCENTAGES
Homework 30%
Term paper 20%
Mid term 25%
Final exam 25%

MIT Statement on Plagiarism

Plagiarism—use of another’s intellectual work without acknowledgement—is a serious offense. It is the policy of the Literature Faculty that students who plagiarize will receive an F in the subject, and that the instructor will forward the case to the Committee on Discipline. Full acknowledgement for all information obtained from sources outside the classroom must be clearly stated in all written work submitted. All ideas, arguments, and direct phrasings taken from someone else’s work must be identified and properly footnoted. Quotations from other sources must be clearly marked as distinct from the student’s own work. For further guidance on the proper forms of attribution, consult the style guides available at the Writing and Communication Center and the MIT Web site on Plagiarism.

Calendar

LEC # TOPICS
1 Introduction / Logistics / Microscopic Interactions
2 Macroscopic Interactions / Moderation Shielding
3 Nuclear Data
4 R-Matrix Theory
5 Neutron Thermalization
6 Scattering Laws / SANS
7 Neutron Detection and Spectroscopy
8 Review of Probability and Statistics, Introduction to Monte Carlo
9 Collision Physics and Sampling
10 Tallying and Uncertainties
11 Variance Reduction Techniques
12 Criticality Safety / Monte Carlo Criticality
13 Derivation of Transport Equation
14 Boundary Conditions, Interface Conditions
15 Simple Analytical Solutions to TE
16 Integral Form of TE
17 Collision Probability Method
18 Discrete Ordinate Method
19 PN Method / Diffusion
20 Linearity of TE / Reciprocity Relation
21 Adjoint Equation / Perturbation Theory
22 Variational Methods
23 Photon Transport / Image Rendering
24 Molecular Dynamics I
25 Molecular Dynamics II

Course Info

Instructor
As Taught In
Spring 2010
Level
Learning Resource Types
Problem Sets
Lecture Notes
Written Assignments